Ride or Die/Rap Meanings
Let me ask one question, where the cash at? (A frequent question asked by bank robbers.) I'm rolling with the bad cats, in the blackhats (A "bad cat" is slang for a bad person, especially a criminal. The Van der Linde gang disguise themselves in black attire whenever they commit crimes, and also a "blackhat" is slang for a malicious (cyber-)criminal.) I'm basically a beast of burden, baggin' fat stacks Empty out your bank account and then we'll wrap fast (The singer is robbing a bank by burdening his victims for "fat stacks" of dollar bills.) I never had any problem resolved with words Rather whip out a revolver first (Children are usually taught to solve problems with words instead of violence, however the singer is asserting that the opposite works for him.) Tell every woman to drop her purse She's not gonna need it for knockin spurs (Robbers tend to clean out women's purses as well. Cowboy boots are almost always outfitted with spurs that make a distinct clanging noise.) God, for what it's worth I never gone to church I never got to learn right and wrong (The singer is directly addressing God in this verse, where he tries negotiating his amoral actions that he's been a criminal his entire life and was never taught anything else.) I'm a lot of work for the Lawman - why would I run and hide I'm the best lookin crook on any wanted sign (With all the crimes he's committing, the lawmen, Wild West terminology for cops, have more than enough work on their hands. The singer says he doesn't want to hide because he has such an attractive face, one that looks really good on wanted posters.) I rode into town with both my guns smoking The barrels so hot the sand would feel colder I got cobwebs on my revolver's holster (The singer is exaggerating how many gunfights he gets in by saying his revolvers are always so smoking hot they make the already scalding sand seem cold, and that his holsters have rotten away from disuse since his guns are always drawn.) We don't do it for the ladies You're my ride or die No it ain't about the money Be my ride or die I guess we're all a little crazy We are ride or die We only do it cuz we love it (The outlaws aren't criminals for money or fame, it's just simply their way of life. They admit that they're all probably mentally unhinged because of this.) Step into the wild west frontier Where the tracks have been laid with plenty of sweat, blood, tears (The Wild West took place in the American Frontier, where thousands of pioneers suffered and died trying to expand the United States.) I'm a stud who's just as hung as a huge horse Make the ladies swoon as soon as I'm through the saloon doors Abs like a washboard, who wants a few chores? Leave your wife home, unless you want me to do yours (In this verse, the singer brags about his sexual prowess. First off, he's a "stud", a sexually attractive man. Secondly, he's "as hung as a horse", a common idiom to say someone has a huge penis, since horses have some of the biggest penises in the animal kingdom. It also ties into the Wild West setting since the main mode of transportation was on horseback. Saloons were frequented by dancing ladies, who apparently swooned over the singer. Like a huge penis, an ideal trait is a six-pack, frequently nicknamed "washboard abs".) Check the sky, when it's high noon, time to strike (Stereotypically, cowboys always duel at 12 PM, high noon, when the sky is a very distinct shade.) I'm a deadeye, get out of my line of sight (A "deadeye" is slang for an expert marksman, and it's also the name of the aiming mechanic in Red Dead Redemption. "Get out of my sight" is a common idiom for "leave me alone", however in this context it's a pun where the singer tells someone to get out of their crosshairs.) We all know the law has bounds That they've drawn around That won't stop us now (Naturally, the Van der Lindes don't give a damn about laws.) Your corruption draws us out Now your once calm town Has a bodycount (The Van der Lindes style themselves as modern day Robin Hoods, as in they steal from the rich to give to the poor. They're attracted by the corruption in government and destroy entire towns with bloody shootouts with law enforcement.) I'm an outlaw, are you proud pa? (Arthur Morgan had daddy issues.) Wanna go toe to toe in a showdown? draw (One-on-one duels were frequent in the Wild West, always signaled by someone shouting "Draw!") You can bet when my Winchester sounds off Even butch Cassidy's bunch would up and bounce, Y'all (Wichester Repeating Arms Company was one of the most prolific lever action rifle manufactors in the 19th century, and the products were named after them. Butch Cassidy was a notorious real-life Wild West outlaw who led a gang called the Wild Bunch. The singer is saying how even the Wild Bunch are scared of the Van der Lindes whenever they bring their Winchesters out.) Covered in bulletholes - is how you'll be found The smell of your blood is smothered by all the gunpowder around You'll become another chump in one of my stories that I can tell By the fireside at night, children gather around Hark the legend of the hardheaded, Arthur Morgan John Marston's taking notes, I was long before him (John Marston, protagonist of the first Red Dead Redemption, is one of the most iconic and beloved player characters in gaming history, however he's retroactively established as the mere successor to Arthur Morgan.) I'm a rolling stone, a lone-rangin' rockstar (A rolling stone is someone who is always on the move, which is true in Arthur's case since he's a drifter whose constantly on the run. The Lone Ranger is a popular Wild West iconic, and "rockstar" is a pun on Rockstar, the developer behind the Red Dead franchise.)